Illusion of Reality
by Angel Trainee Flonne
Summary: Two years have passed since everyone went their separate ways... Now, Prier is wishing for the past again. What she doesn't know is that wish may just come true...


I guess I hold the record for the third La Pucelle fic? Anyway, I got this idea from a dream I had (I know-too much dream inspiration) and an episode of Sorcerer Hunters, so enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I wish I did, but I don't own La Pucelle.

**Spoiler Warning:** There are quite a few… This is, after all, a sequel fic.

* * *

It was a cold autumn night in Pot au Feu city. The trees were almost bare; their remaining leaves were easily blown away into the wind, landing on the cobblestones and racing to meet the wind's speed.

Normally by this late hour, everyone in the city was asleep, but there was one lone girl that still remained awake, and she was standing at the town gate.

Her shoulder length rose-red hair danced in the wind along with the leaves as she stood, staring at the open path leading to the main square expectantly. She had been there for hours; most people would be numb from cold by staying there so long, but she felt nothing. Nothing but anxiety and hope, both aimed at a certain someone's return. Nothing else seemed to matter during the time she waited. Nothing…

After waiting a little while longer, her hand, which had been resting on one of the decorative stone pillars of the town gate, slid down in disappointment. She closed her crimson eyes and frowned, deepening the emotion.

"He's not here yet… When will he come back?" Her soft whisper echoed through the night as she turned her head downward with dejection. "Guess I should head back to the Church…" She mumbled before walking off, the frown still not leaving her face.

As she neared the Church's front, she could spot a bright mess of orange-brown hair. That was all she needed to see to know who the person was.

_'Just what I need. Another nagging from my little brother.'_ She inwardly groaned, the frown deepening. Her mood was shifting from disappointment to annoyance.

"Prier! How many times must I tell you not to stay up like this? We have to wait so long to close up because of you-we're letting all the heat out!" The young boy lightly chided her.

She rolled her eyes. This reminded her too much of someone, and unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for it. "Who died and made you Alouette?!" She retorted, but clamped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she had just said.

The small spark of amusement in the boy's soft chocolate brown eyes flickered and went cold. "You should… get in inside…" His tone was emotionless as he gestured to the large open doors behind him.

Yup, she had definitely touched a nerve.

"Culotte, I'm so sorry, I…"

"Get inside…" He repeated, still emotionless.

"Culotte, please, I'm…"

"Get inside!" This time he shouted with more force, and instead of gently gesturing to the doors, he pushed her inside the church.

Scratch that earlier statement. She had touched a LOT of nerves.

Walking silently up to her room herself, she quietly opened and shut the door, hoping Culotte wouldn't lose it again at hearing even the tiniest sound.

* * *

Prier stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, lying flat on her back, remaining silent as ever. It had been quite a while since she had come up here, but Culotte might still be fuming. Best not to take any chances; his temper now rivaled her own.

_'His temper… It hadn't been this bad before…'_

She remembered when he was younger-Culotte had always been gentle and kind, and though he usually never showed anger, he was very sarcastic.

_'Things have changed so much since then…'_ She thought sadly. The time she was referring to was back when she was still sixteen, which was two years ago. At that time, though things were rougher that they were now, she was, in a way, happy. She always had so many jobs fighting demons while working in the Church. Some of them were truly hard or annoying, but others she found somewhat enjoyable. And it was also because she had her friends: Princess Éclair, who had recently become Queen of Paprica, the air pirate/prince Homard, her little brother Culotte (even though she still had him at least), the former Maiden of Light Alouette, and the freelance demon hunter/Dark Prince, Croix.

And now, those friends were gone.

Éclair had become Queen, so she was often busy attending to royal affairs, so Prier hardly got any chances to see her, or vice versa. Homard had successfully married Éclair, but since he was Prince of his own country, he had problems to attend to as well. Culotte, although he was still with her, as said earlier, his temper had become much worse. On the outside, he seemed happy and cheerful as usual, but on the inside, Prier could sense a great sorrow. She knew what had caused that sorrow… It was Alouette.

Alouette, as the Maiden of Light, gave up all her energy in order to help Prier conquer the darkness in Croix's, the Dark Prince's, heart.

In other words, Alouette had died. Her death caused Culotte's temper and sorrow problem, and those emotions broke out every time her name and her death were placed in the same sentence.

As for Croix…

He had left her. After the darkness in his heart was conquered, he left on a journey by himself, to atone for his sins by using his demon hunting skills to help people.

Croix…

His name cause so many emotions to surface from within her, a few of them being love, anxiety, confusion, and a slight bit of anger.

Love surfaced simply because Prier loved him; Anxiety surfaced because she wished for his return; Confusion surfaced to question why he had left her; and Anger surfaced for her bitterness at him leaving her in the first place.

Yet a part of her knew that it was his choice, and she must live with it. She could have stopped him, but she didn't.

_'And that choice has come back to haunt me…'_ She frowned.

Letting out another sigh, Prier shifted in bed to look at her window, to gaze at the stars. Looking at them somehow calmed her over the past few years, and she was hoping they would help again tonight.

She sighted a long, sparkling white trail of light zooming through the inky black sky. A small smile lighted her face as she realized what it was.

_'A shooting star…'_

The action she was about to take next made her feel childish, but for the hell of it, she tried.

"Star light, star bright.

First star I see tonight.

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight."

Clasping her hands in prayer, she sat up, and then continued.

"To whoever the hell can hear me up there… Things have changed so much here, so rapidly that it's almost too much to bear. I want everything to return to normal, to how it once was. That's my wish…"

With a yawn, Prier stretched and smiled up at the sky, then flopped back on her soft, cushiony bed.

But before drifting off, she could have sworn she heard a voice…

"If that is what you wish…"

That last sentence echoed in her mind over and over until she slipped from consciousness.

* * *

That's Part 1. Sorry it's so short ; I know I shouldn't be starting so many new fics without finishing the others first, but I just couldn't put the idea down. Sayonara, and see you all next chapter! 


End file.
